Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

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Chris Vince
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Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #1 by Chris Vince » Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:12 pm

Hello,
New member here, I have done an introduction, please would someone give me some knowledge?
I am in the last stages of refurbishing a 1981 Thomas Green designed Atkinsons roller with a Petter AB1 engine.
It was originally bought by a tennis club in NW10 London, hence the vibration facility has never been used, about 25 years ago kids vandalised it filling the space around the engine and hydraulics with sand, I have just found the original starting handle inside the water bar tank, the club bought a new handle but the sand locked the clutch up and they couldn't spin it fast enough to start it.
So it has had 25 years stood under an apple tree, till the local skip company delivered a skip to scrap it, once back in their yard they decided it was too good to scrap and would do someone a good turn, so I became its owner.
Next weekend should see it rebuilt possibly with the start up soon after, my question is:
There are 2 hydraulic pressure pipes (I presume one for forward, the other for reverse?) going to the hydraulic drum drive motor, and a return to tank pipe from this motor, there is a freewheel/drive valve plumbed in on the engine cover casing.
The handle has a single sided deadmans type of lever, that moves a valve (proportional?) on the hydraulic pump, I cannot work out how forward/reverse are selected, please can someone wise me up?
Chris


martyn williams
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Re: Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #2 by martyn williams » Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:53 pm

Could you post a photo ? Worked on a lot of these but a long while ago. The company I worked for were agents for those rollers, rollers gave us a lot of bother. A bit un reliable ,required factory approved modifications.Is yours a "uniroll"
Martyn


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Re: Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #3 by Chris Vince » Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:20 pm

Thanks for the reply Martyn.
I will have to post a photo when I get back.
I can't confirm if it 's a 'uniroll', it's a good strong heavy roller made after 17/06/1981 for that is the date stamped on the W R Anderton centrifugal clutch that has a toothed belt.
It has a Petter AB1 engine, and a Plessey Hydraulic pump, the vibration drive is via a conical clutch that is also on the hydraulic pump toothed belt pulley.
It is the selection of forward and reverse that has me stumped, it will probably be obvious once I have got the engine running, I am more used to two sided deadmans handles, this roller has a single sided one.


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Re: Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #4 by martyn williams » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:33 pm

Those cone vibration clutches were the weakness with the roller.The were not man enough for the job. needed constant adjustment.
I used to have all the books for these rollers but they got water damaged a few years ago. We had a fleet of Atkinson rollers from 1982 to 84 but because of reliability in use ,we switched to Bomag, Benford and S & P W71'S. we also had Hatz engined Vibromax rollers
Martyn


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Re: Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #5 by Chris Vince » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:55 pm

Hopefully I should be OK with the vibration clutch as it is as new, coming from a lawn tennis club, the vibration side has never been used, as it has only ever seen grass.
I only need the roller for a self build, so it will only get very light occassional use.
Martyn, can you remember how the forward/reverse system is selected, that is what has me stumped.
Chris


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Re: Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #6 by martyn williams » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:45 pm

Trying hard to remember, can you tak a photo of it to give my memory a jog :lol: once I se it it will come back to me. its just a lever into a control box with a tube that runs into the drive. Need to look at it :thumbup:
Martyn


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Re: Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #7 by Chris Vince » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:50 pm

I will do this in a couple of days when I get back home, thank you.


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Re: Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #8 by martyn williams » Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:02 pm

:thumbup:


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Re: Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #9 by Chris Vince » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:39 pm

Hello Martyn,
Thank you for your help and interest.
I have sorted out the reversing query I had, the two sided deadmans lever had snapped and only one side was left, I welded in a bit of 15mm mild steel bar and sorted.
After laying asleep for the last 24 years, I managed to get it started today, drained and flushed the fuel lines and pumps and eventually it started.
When it is running it is really very smooth and smoke free.
But it remains a right bu**er to get going even with a double prime of engine oil.
Having said that it probably needs a decent long run, if it doesn't get easier I think I will have to strip the injection pump & injector as I think they may still have crud in them, but before I do I will try a stiff concentration with Forte injector cleaner.


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Re: Thomas Green & Sons (Atkinson) roller

Post #10 by martyn williams » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:29 am

They can be hard to start in cold weather,we used to put 10 W engine oil for those engines.May just need a decoke .Can you hear the injector "creak " when turning the handle ?.
Martyn


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